Discipleship

Discipleship: The Call to Follow, Imitate, and Multiply

To be a Christian is to be a disciple. Anything less is not biblical. Yet in today’s culture of casual belief and shallow faith, many have divorced the idea of belief from obedience. But the word disciple (μαθητής, mathētēs – Strong’s G3101) means "learner" or "apprentice" and refers to someone who attaches themselves to a teacher in order to become like them.

It appears over 260 times in the Gospels and Acts, revealing the centrality of this concept to the Christian life. Jesus never once called people to simply make a decision. He called them to follow Him.

Jesus’ Model for Discipleship

In Luke 9:23 (NLT), Jesus sets the terms: "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me." This isn’t a suggestion; it’s a summons to die to self. Jesus repeatedly demonstrated that discipleship involves time, intentional teaching, and real-life modeling. He poured into the Twelve and even more deeply into three: Peter, James, and John. They were with Him constantly, learning not just from what He taught but how He lived. As John 8:31 (NLT) records, *"Jesus said to the people who believed in him, 'You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings.'"

The Greek term used here, menō (μένω, Strong’s G3306), means to remain, abide, or stay. Discipleship is not momentary; it’s about continual perseverance.

Paul's Discipleship of Timothy and Titus

The apostle Paul exemplified discipleship by investing personally in young leaders like Timothy and Titus. He didn’t just teach theology; he modeled the Christian life. Paul calls Timothy his beloved son in the faith (1 Timothy 1:2), and his letters to both men are full of instructions, corrections, encouragement, and delegation. Timothy was told, "Teach these things and insist that everyone learn them" (1 Timothy 4:11, NLT), and to "set an example for other believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and your purity" (1 Timothy 4:12, NLT).

Titus was commissioned similarly: "I left you on the island of Crete so you could complete our work there and appoint elders in each town as I instructed you" (Titus 1:5, NLT). This shows the natural multiplication built into biblical discipleship: you make disciples who make disciples. It is not enough to believe privately or learn personally; the process must replicate.

The Great Commission and Its Terms

Jesus' final earthly command was not to gather converts but to make disciples. "Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you" (Matthew 28:19–20, NLT). Note the word "teach" (διδάσκω, didaskō, Strong’s G1321), which includes instruction, demonstration, and correction. Discipleship is not passive information transfer but active transformation.

The Local Church: God's Design for Discipleship

Discipleship is not a private hobby. The New Testament shows that it is intended to take place in the context of the local church. Acts shows believers gathered in homes and the temple courts, devoting themselves to "the apostles' teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals, and to prayer" (Acts 2:42, NLT). The idea that discipleship can occur in isolation or purely online is foreign to Scripture. Hebrews 10:25 (NLT) exhorts us: "And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near."

Paul's letters were addressed to churches, not individuals, and focused on growth in community. The church is Christ’s body (1 Corinthians 12:27), and discipleship must take place in the body. There is no biblical model of Lone Ranger Christianity.

Costly Grace: The True Nature of Discipleship

Discipleship is costly. Jesus said, "So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own" (Luke 14:33, NLT). This doesn’t mean every Christian must be homeless, but it does mean Christ must have total claim. Dietrich Bonhoeffer rightly called this "costly grace" – a grace that demands our full obedience.

Conclusion: Every Christian is a Disciple

There is no such thing as a believer who is not a disciple. Anything else is sub-Christian. A disciple follows Jesus, abides in His Word, obeys His commands, and helps others do the same. As Paul instructed Timothy: "You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others" (2 Timothy 2:2, NLT).

This is discipleship: Following Jesus. Imitating Jesus. Multiplying Jesus in others.